Daily Prayer: March 2010

HOLY WEEK PRAYER

This is called "Holy Week" or "Passion Week" and a week worthy of our devotion and prayers.

The movie "The Passion of the Christ" was seen by many and gave a graphic step by step account of those horrendous days. Today, with those pictures in our mind, let's pray.

"O Lord Jesus, how quickly my eye passes over this familiar line: "They crucified him." Expand my mind! renew my sense of horror ~~and my wonder! Awaken my soul! For they crucified You, the Author of life now dying on the place of the Skull; the Lord of all now a slave to death, the blessed One of God now a curse; the sinless One now made to be sin, the only Son of God now forsaken by Your Father. O dear Jesus, they crucified You, my true Savior. They crucified You, my hearts desire. They crucified You, my only hope. They crucified You, in my place, on my cross, for my sin. O Lord I crucified You! And you saved me from the curse and gave me forgiveness and eternal life. How I love you!
Amen

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A 12 Step Prayer

God: I am powerless and my life is unmanageable without Your help and guidance. I come to You today because I believe that you can restore and renew me to meet my needs today.

Since I cannot manage my own life or affairs, I have decided to give them to You. I put my life, my will, my thoughts, my desires and ambitions in your hands. I give You all of me: the good and the bad, the character defects and shortcomings, my selfishness, resentments and problems. I know that You will work them out in accordance with Your plan.

Such as I am, take and use me in Your service. Guide and direct my ways and show me what to do for You.

I cannot control or change my friends or loved ones, so I release them into Your care for Your loving hands to do with as You will. Just keep me loving and free from judging them. If they need changing, God, You’ll have to do it; I can’t.

Just make me willing and ready to be of service to You, to have my shortcomings removed, and to do my best. Help me to see how I have harmed others and make me willing to make amends to them all. Keep me ever mindful of thoughts and actions that harm myself and others, and which separate me from Your light, love, and spirit. And when I commit these errors, make me aware of them and help me to admit each one promptly.

I am seeking to know You better, to love You more. I am seeking the knowledge of Your will for me and the power to carry it out. – Anonymous.

Amen

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Palm Sunday Prayer

When I think of Palm Sunday my mind often wanders to the account in the gospel of John where it is reported that, with shouts of Hosanna, palm branches were laid before Jesus as he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. Interesting enough there is another passage of scripture in Revelation that mentions branches of palm. Please join me on this Palm Sunday in reading and praying this passage:

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:

"Salvation belongs to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb."

All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying:

"Amen!
Praise and glory
and wisdom and thanks and honor
and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen!"
Amen! For ever and ever!

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Preparing for Holy Week

Our prayer today comes from the words of King David in Psalm 51:

Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love.
Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.

Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.
...
Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight.
...
Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me—now let me rejoice.
...
Create in me a clean heart, O God.

Renew a loyal spirit within me.
...
Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.
...
You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering.

The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.

You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God

Amen

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Bleeding Hearts

The LORD [is] near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit. Psalm 34:18

Father God,
I pray that You would give to me a broken heart, a heart that Your Holy Spirit can flow through. I ask, dear Lord, that I would have a heart that leaks; one that spills the love of Jesus everywhere I go. May those I meet never question whether or not I am Your child. May Your words tumble from my lips and my hands never tire of praising You.
Amen

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prayer for a healthy country

Lord, let us put aside our political differences and embrace that we are all your children.

help us to speak with truth and grace.

let us remember that our job is to love. remind us to leave room for you to judge.

may we see each other for who we are: brother and sister.

open our eyes, our ears, our hearts and our minds to opinions that are different.

encourage us to embrace and adore the diversity of idea and thought that is America.

you created each of us in your image. move us to see you in each and everyone of our fellow countrymen.

we ask this in the name of Jesus Christ.

Amen

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A PRAYER FOR PARENTS

March 24th will always be a reminder of God's grace and love. Twenty-one years ago, on March 24 our youngest daughter (then 18) was in a horrendous car accident and spent a month in intensive care, and almost 9 months in the hospital. There were days we didn't know if she would make it through the night, and months we didn't know if her right leg would be amputated at the hip. But God's grace and love was with us every moment, and he granted her life!

She will be 40 this year and is married and living a fulfilled life. Yes, she still had some difficulty with that leg, and some other health issued related to the injury, but she has a wonderful attitude and tells me often. "Mom, if I hadn't had the accident, I wouldn't be the woman I am today."

So today my prayer is for all parents who have lived through the pain of a child that is hurting either physically, mentally or emotionally and those who are living it right now.

Dear Lord, you are the giver of life. You sustain us when we see those we love in pain. You bring healing and comfort. Today Lord, for all parents who sit in hospital rooms, or by a sick beds, nursing a child back to health, will you wrap your loving arms around them and give them your peace and healing. We love You. Amen

Amen

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Into the deep

Give me a candle of the Spirit, O God,

as I go down into the deep of my own being.

Show me the hidden things.

Take me down to the spring of my life,

and tell me my nature and my name.

Give me freedom to grow so that I may become my true self –

the fulfillment of the seed which You planted in me at my making.

Out of the deep I cry unto thee, O Lord.

Amen

– George Appleton

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Worthy is the Lamb

This video so reminds me of this scene in Heaven from the fifth chapter of Revelation..

I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice,

"Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?"

And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it. Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it; and one of the elders *said to me,

"Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals."

And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they *sang a new song, saying,

"Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. "You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice,

"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing."

And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying,

"To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever." And the four living creatures kept saying, "Amen."

And the elders fell down and worshiped.

Please join me today in worshiping the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. He is worthy of our praise!

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AN IRISH BLESSING

It seemed appropriate to have a Irish Blessing today!

God bless the corners of this house and all the lintel blessed,
And bless the hearth and bless the board and bless each place of rest,
And bless each door that opens wide to strangers as to kin,
And bless each crystal window pane that lets the starlight in,
And bless the rooftree overhead and every sturdy wall.
The peace of man. The peace of God. With peace and love for all.

Do you say blessing on your home?

I remember when we moved into the Parsonage years ago, I went from room to room asking God to make that home a place of love, ministry and peace for those who would come through the doors. After 27 years of ministry there.... I think my prayer was answered.

Amen

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Tomorrow lots of Irish eyes will be smiling!

Tomorrow everyone dons their green or orange, puts on a pot of corned beef and cabbage, and looks for leprechauns as we remember Saint Patrick. His story is an interesting one:

Although known as the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick was actually born in Scotland in 387 of Roman parents. In his early teens, he was abducted and taken to Ireland as a slave, where he tended sheep. At the time, Ireland was a pagan land. During his captivity, he developed an active prayer life; he later wrote, "The love of God and his fear grew in me more and more, as did the faith, and my soul was roused, so that, in a single day, I have said as many as a hundred prayers and in the night, nearly the same... I prayed in the woods and on the mountain, even before dawn. I felt no hurt from the snow or ice or rain."

When he was about 20 years old, he told in a dream to escape his captivity and return to Britain, where he was reunited with his family. There he studied for the priesthood and returned to Ireland after his ordination. For 40 years, he preached the Gospel there, converting nearly the whole of Ireland. He died in 461 at the age of 74.

This prayer was engraved on the breastplate of Saint Patrick:

Christ to protect me to-day against poison, against burning, against drowning, against wounding, so that there may come abundance of reward. Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit, Christ where I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.

Let us imitate Patrick in his fearlessness, his steadfastness in prayer, and his constancy to the Gospel of Christ!

Amen

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Prayer for Prodigals

From the folks at Beliefnet..

"God, we pray today for parents who are enduring the onslaught of discouragement over the choices of their children. Give them hope that your promises are never defeated, and that you can make a way through dark places when there seems to be no light. Give them, today, sound wisdom to know specifically how love for their child needs to be expressed. Then give them the same tomorrow, and then the day after. Give them endurance to hope beyond hope. Give them courage, and surprising joy.

We pray also for the children who are wandering from the ways of wisdom. We pray today that they will return. Lead them home, coaxing their desires, compelling their dreams, and frustrating their rebellions. And when they do make even the smallest step homeward we will welcome them and celebrate the victory.

God, you are a perfect father, THE Father. We know you share this desire with us. Bring our sons and daughters home! We hear your promises and we hold on to them as we hold on to you, and at the same time release our children into your care. In Jesus..."

Amen

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Hurting Hearts

Dear Lord,

It is not Friday. It is Wednesday night. My heart is heavy and sad. My sister shared some family news; a second cousin was killed in Portland, Oregon. He was beaten and stomped to death. How is it, Lord, that we live in such a cruel and ugly world? Oh, Father God, please be with those who sorrow this night and will for many more to come. I pray dear Lord, that you would somehow bring peace and comfort through this tragedy. I don't know how You can, but I know that You are able. You are even able to touch the cold and hardened heart of the killer and to work forgiveness in those he so deeply hurt.

Lord, help me to love a little bit deeper and stronger, to forgive a little more with every passing day. Teach me to treasure those I know and love.

Amen

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the unspoken prayer

Sometimes a prayer is just sitting before God.
And listening.

Amen

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God's Glory

The primary issue in prayer is not obtaining what we want but allowing God to display His glory!

Dear Lord, today, please let me so live that my life, my words and my actions bring You glory. I love You. Amen

Amen

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Praying for a Broken Relationship

I recently had a conversation with a man who has continued to carry a burden of hurt and resentment since childhood. Now with children of his own, he's beginning to realize that this is a legacy he doesn't want to pass on. He's struggling to show his children how to live a life of faith and forgiveness, but until he puts the pain of the past to rest, he's unable to do so. This is a prayer I shared with him:

Come, Lord of Healing and Unity, I am in need of Your divine assistance. I need to approach another and find a way to peace and understanding. We are now separated, and the canyon between us is painful and empty of You. Help me to be honest as I seek reunion.

Open to my vision the ways by which I have failed and have been lacking in consideration. Let my heart be ready to see how I have sinned. I will need Your help so that I may move beyond my own feelings to an awareness of the other who is also suffering.

You, Searcher of Hearts, know how both of us in our own ways are at fault. Teach us to be humble as we seek reunion. Come and stand between us so that all we say and do will be filled with the sacred medicine of heaven.

Remind us how short our lives are so that we will not delay this reunion of hearts. Inspire us to see how this separation can serve to bring us even closer together, closer than we were before it happened.

Most of all, Lord of Compassion, let me be a servant of pardon, a minister of reconciliation, as I now pray for Your holy guidance.

Amen

- Fr. Ed Hayes

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Prayer Thoughts - Monday 03-08-2010

Here are two of my favorite passages pertaining to prayer:

Matthew 7:7-8, "Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened."

Philippians 4:6-7, "Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life."

Below is one of my favorite videos pertaining to prayer.

May God richly bless each and every one soul who passes this way today.

Bill Williams
a spiritual oasis

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For all those who are unemployed..

Today's prayer comes from the folks at Beliefnet and is dedicated in particular to my good friend Clark and my blog friend Barbara who are in need of employment. Please feel free to add the names of your unemployed friends to this prayer.

God, we pray for all those who have suddenly lost employment. There are many. We ask you to first give them peace and a settled confidence. Their natural response is to shock and then fear, and to begin questioning their abilities, the past accomplishments and their future prospects.

Give them your encouragement today, and do so through surprising ways, both directly from your Spirit and through other people who come across their path. Build them up, as this situation has torn them down. Remind them of past victories, and awaken new dreams for their future. Give them - today - divine appointments with people who may be key in opening a new future for them. Give them hope; lighten their step; lift the anxiety from their body; give them sleep and an unexpected joy.

God, you intend us to have a purposeful life. You give us work assignments to accomplish because you designed us to help you create and sustain your creation. We are not made for idleness or sloth. We need meaningful work. So for all those who have lost a job, today bring them one step closer to a new direction. Show them any areas in their own character that need to change in order for their destiny to be realized. Then give them the wisdom and power to make those changes, by your Spirit.

Today is a new day with new possibilities. Let nothing stand in the way of your purposes in the lives of those who, without your assistance, cannot find their next course. We pray this in Jesus..."

Amen

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Shine The Light

Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

Dear Lord,

Shine the light of Your word and light the way. We want to follow You. Calm our fears when the way seems dim and help us to trust that You know all things and will not take us anywhere that isn't good.

Amen

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for those...

For those who hunger and thirst
For those alone or out in the cold
For those chained by bars or illness

Let us see you for who you are
You are Christ
You are our Lord and Savior

Jesus, open our eyes
Father, soften our hearts
Spirit, move in us today

Amen

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John 4:23,24 "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."

Hear my prayer ~~
Heavenly Father what an astounding revelation, that you are seeking people to worship You in spirit and in truth. You are complete, Lord. No one can add to Your perfection. Yet You seek worshipers, not to augment Your glory, but because it is right for You to be glorified. We who have been created to worship You are more complete when we fulfill this deepest purpose of our lives. When we worship You in the power of Your Spirit and in light of your revealed truth, we fin our rightful place in life. O God, I want to be just what You are looking for ~~someone who worships You in spirit and in truth! Amen

The Father is looking for worshipers,
So if you are looking for God
and you just can't seem to find Him,
then stop what you are doing and
worship Him
and He will come and find you.
Joseph Garlington

Amen

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Hannah's Prayer : 1 Samuel 2:1-10

Have you ever noticed how frequently the focus of prayer tends to be creatures rather than the Creator, our world rather than His Kingdom, our wants and needs rather than His will? It may be perfectly understandable, but perhaps now and then we should follow the example of Hannah. Her prayer was almost exclusively a song of praise to God:

Then Hannah prayed and said:

"My heart rejoices in the LORD;
          in the LORD my horn is lifted high.
          My mouth boasts over my enemies,
          for I delight in your deliverance.

"There is no one holy like the LORD;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.

"Do not keep talking so proudly
               or let your mouth speak such arrogance,
               for the LORD is a God who knows,
               and by him deeds are weighed.

"The bows of the warriors are broken,
               but those who stumbled are armed with strength.
               Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
               but those who were hungry hunger no more.
               She who was barren has borne seven children,
               but she who has had many sons pines away.

"The LORD brings death and makes alive;
               he brings down to the grave and raises up.
               The LORD sends poverty and wealth;
               he humbles and he exalts.
               He raises the poor from the dust
               and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
               he seats them with princes
               nd has them inherit a throne of honor

"For the foundations of the earth are the LORD's;
               upon them he has set the world.
               He will guard the feet of his saints,
               but the wicked will be silenced in darkness.

"It is not by strength that one prevails;
               those who oppose the LORD will be shattered.
               He will thunder against them from heaven;
               the LORD will judge the ends of the earth.
               "He will give strength to his king
               and exalt the horn of his anointed."

Today, Lord, let me lift my eyes away from my earthly concerns and direct them toward You. Let me forget what I want you to do for me and ask what Your will is for me. For just this one day, let me replace petition with praise. Let me remember that You are the Creator of all, the Father of all, and the Solution to all.

Amen

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Prayer for Monday - 03/01/2010

Almighty God and Father in Heaven, we offer to you the fruit of our lips in humble adoration and praise. We confess to you the sins and struggles which you already know full-well. We give you our thanks for the blood of Christ which cleanses us from all sin and the Holy Spirit Who strengthens our inner beings so that Christ my dwell in our hearts through faith. We earnestly pray that you will hear the supplications, whether for themselves or for others, of all whose hearts lead them to this site. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Psalm 46 (NLT)

¹ God is our refuge and strength,
always ready to help in times of trouble.
² So we will not fear when earthquakes come
and the mountains crumble into the sea.
³ Let the oceans roar and foam.
Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!
⁴ A river brings joy to the city of our God,
the sacred home of the Most High.
⁵ God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroyed.
From the very break of day, God will protect it.
⁶ The nations are in chaos,
and their kingdoms crumble!
God’s voice thunders,
and the earth melts!
⁷ The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;
the God of Israel is our fortress.
⁸ Come, see the glorious works of the Lord:
See how he brings destruction upon the world.
⁹ He causes wars to end throughout the earth.
He breaks the bow and snaps the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.

¹⁰ “Be still, and know that I am God!
I will be honored by every nation.
I will be honored throughout the world.”

¹¹ The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us;

the God of Israel is our fortress.

Posted by: Bill Williams
a spiritual oasis

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